Sustainable Brookhaven
Sustainable operations are the foundation of scientific research at
Brookhaven National Laboratory. Preserving the beautiful campus on
which the Lab is situated and minimizing our impact on the environment
are fundamental responsibilities, both as citizens and as inhabitants of the earth.

Sustainability: the Foundation of Our Science

With long-standing expertise in accelerator science and technology,
Brookhaven Lab designs, builds, and operates major scientific facilities
and makes them available to university, industry, and government
researchers from around the world in support of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of
Science mission. The Lab leverages this access to diverse talent, its
stewardship of a significant national research infrastructure, and its
location in the northeast to be a regional resource for sustainability
expertise and leadership.

We minimize our impact on the environment by reducing the amount of
energy we use; constructing building and site infrastructure that puts
less demand on the local environment; carrying out research that
supports the energy needs of the northeastern United States; and
fostering an employee culture that values environmentally responsible
practices.

Brookhaven is located in the heart of the Long Island Pine
Barrens region.

We conduct research that will lead to tomorrow's environmentaly-friendly
energy solutions.

We build sustainability into our work, from reducing the amount
of electricity we use to purchasing green products when possible.

Brookhaven is Registered to the ISO 14001 Standard

One of Brookhaven Lab's highest priorities is ensuring that its
commitment to environmental protection is as strong as its
passion for discovery.

In 1998, Brookhaven National Laboratory implemented an
Environmental Management System (EMS) that adopted the ISO 14001
standard. ISO 14001 provides a framework for planning, monitoring,
and improving environmental performance. Brookhaven's EMS increased
the emphasis on regulatory compliance, pollution prevention, and
community outreach. In following the ISO 14001 standard, the Lab
identified all activities that had the potential to impact the
environment and then took steps to eliminate, minimize, and manage
them. The Lab's EMS integrated sound environmental management
practices into all aspects of its operations.

In 1999, Brookhaven's Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) was
the first U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science and
first Long Island-based organization to obtain third-party
registration to the ISO 14001 standard. In 2000, eight additional
facilities were registered to the standard, and in 2001, the entire
Lab site became the first national laboratory to obtain registration
to this globally-recognized environmental standard.

An organization must comply with a set of 17 requirements to
obtain registration to the ISO 14001 standard. These include:

Development of an environmental policy with a
commitment to compliance, pollution prevention, and
continual improvement

Identification of environmental aspects and
impacts of an operation and any legal requirements,
setting goals and objectives consistent with the
policy and implementing programs to achieve the
goals

Establishment of a support structure to
administer environmental training, communication,
documentation, operational control, and emergency
preparedness

Implementation of checking and corrective
actions that include monitoring and auditing
functions, and senior management review of overall
system effectiveness

Completion of annual audits by independent
auditors to ensure continued conformance to
requirements and to maintain registration

Our Environment, Safety, Security, and Health Policy

The cornerstone of an Environmental Management System is a commitment to environmental
protection at the highest levels of an organization. The Lab's
environmental commitments are incorporated into a comprehensive
Environment, Safety,
Security, and Health Policy. The policy, issued and signed by
the Laboratory Director, makes clear Brookhaven's commitment to
environmental stewardship, the safety of the public and its
employees, and the security of the site.

One of ten national laboratories overseen and primarily funded by the Office of Science of the
U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Brookhaven National Laboratory conducts research in the physical,
biomedical, and environmental sciences, as well as in energy technologies and national security.
Brookhaven Lab also builds and operates major scientific facilities available to university, industry
and government researchers. Brookhaven is operated and managed for DOE's Office of Science by Brookhaven
Science Associates, a limited-liability company founded by the Research Foundation for the State
University of New York on behalf of Stony Brook University, the largest academic user of Laboratory
facilities, and Battelle, a nonprofit applied science and technology organization.